UNSEEN TIDES (Ch. 6)

Three mean-looking young men walk down the sideway below the moons glow, in tow with them is a plump girl with thick make up on,

"Fuck!, What the hell do we do after getting humiliated like that"

"What can! we do, where lucky James is a quiet guy"

"Hey, where's Jay?" The plump girl interjects, "if he isn't coming I'm leaving"

(Leave if you want to),"but that little runt saw us" he continues without responding

"Who?"

"Jim" the boy with the muffled voice continues,

"We've fucked with him a lot, he might spill, do any of you know if he got a picture?"

"call him", another interjects

"There really isn't anything to worry about, but it's best to give him some 'educating'" the muffled-voiced teen concludes

Jimmy who's sound asleep's phone rings straight into his ear, forcing himself up he struggles to get a hold of it,

(who'd be calling at this hour?), Looking to see the name displayed he bolts to his feet before picking the call in haste

"Hey dumbass!, didn't I tell you to pick up when i call?" A high-pitched voice filtered through the phone

"Ah, I'm sorry i was..."

"I don't care, get your ass to the store by twelfth"

Sneaking out of his house Jimmy runs in the direction of the store, (if i run like this for five minutes i can make good time)

Less than twenty seconds later he's clutching his knees and wheezing, after several harrowing minutes of forced exercise he barely makes it within the allotted time, there he sees the three guys and one obese girl squatting in front of the store entrance.

"Jimmy!, your late!" The first person announced

"I'm sorry!" jimmy shouts in response

"Hey Jim did you see anything interesting today" the high-pitched voice inquires

"N..no i didn't" Jimmy replies nervously combing his fingers through the hair on his neck

"And i'm supposed to believe you?" He presses

"I didn't see anything!"

"Hmm alright" a muffled voice interjected, "you see my battery's down, and my charger's spoilt, I'm going to need a new charger get one for me", he says glaring him down,

"I..i..i didn't b.. b..ring any ..money though" Jimmy stutters

"We know, that's why he asked" another replies smiling

"B...but ..th.. that's stealing"

"Are you deaf!?" The muffled-voiced young teen growls.

(Shit i've got to do it!)

Don't worry Jimmy, the counter-man in there's a pussy, even a peon like you should be alright.

"A..a...alright", Jimmy states opening the store door to the welcome of the counter-man, jimmy walks up to him, his thin body swaying feebly,

(he looks weak as fuck),

"Where are the st..store chargers" Jimmy asks tensely,

Next stall over to the right raven replies,

(he's scared for some reason), Raven mules as he watches him picking the charger box. Jimmy stands frozen charger box in hand, (he's watching me, what do i do?), "Fuck!", He exclaims pushing the box under his shirt before bolting for the doors,

"hey!" Raven shouts running desperately after him, jimmy runs for the door but is cut short by a misstep, tangling his legs and causing him to bang his knee into an unattended cart, tumbling to his knees he struggles to force his weak frame up

(I'm an idiot!), he glances back to see Ravens stout shadow looming over him,

"Hey, are you okay?, Trying to steal isn't right, you gotta pay for that man"

Jimmy got to his feet and grabs a can slamming it against Raven's chin, Raven takes a tumble while he dashes for the doors, pushing them open he takes a left before colliding into a wall?

"Hey!" Raven's scream forces him to hurry to his feet but the man in his path holds him in place, finally taking a chance to look up at the moving wall he pales, feeling the blood drain from his body,

"Y...y..yan..Yanick?"

Raven finally catches up to find the man in the basketball shirt he'd sold to,

"thank you" he states giving him a nod,

"he stole from the store"

"Is that true?" Yanick inquires while glaring at Jimmy

"N..no?..i..me..mean sorry"

"Return it" Yanick growls

(Shit, why does this guy always have to go around acting like some sort of fucking superhero, always taking nonsense about protecting the weak, where the hell were you when i need you!) Jimmy looks down glaring into the asphalt sidewalk

"Stealing isn't right kid"

(Kid? I'm in the same grade as you fucker, i guess it's to be expected that people like you don't see the ants like me!)

Jimmy looks up sharply with a glare but quickly turns away giving an awkward smile when he catches Yanick's eyes.

Raven holding unto the charger box turns to see a bike speeding towards them,

"Shi!" Yannick forces both their heads down as a bat swings over head, the batter and the rider speed off into the distance as the three watch gasping,

"These bastards are getting more active lately" Yanick growls

(Well the police are nonexistent in this state, not that it's any better throughout the country), jimmy mules while Watching the motorcycle speed into the distance.

Jimmy struggles to stay upright as he balances three cafe lunches, one on either hand and the last on the head as he walks towards a certain table, placing the three on the table opposite the first three he'd placed on the table, he takes the seventh seat wondering to himself if he should leave while he had the chance but quickly decides against it, listening in on the chatter of the other students he finds himself drawn towards the table of the new transfer, catching his eyes the new transfer gets to his feet as the cafe goes ghost-quiet, jimmy looks away glancing back to see the transfer approach him, his eyes trained on his form. (Shit shit shit, he's looking at me!, What'd i do!?)

Walking up towards the charger thief he stops a couple of feet before the boy before proceeding to speak

"Hi, what's your name?" Raven inquires

the boy stutters before replying

"Jimmy"

"Nice name, hey come eat with us, you look like you could use some company" Raven had figured the altercation the previous night probably wasn't his doing as he'd watched Jimmy through out the day.

Jay and the three boys look on in curiosity with the rest of the resident cafe as their expressions slowly turn to shock as they watch the two walk back towards Ravens table.

"So Jim where do you live" Raven inquires

(he'd be nice to make him a friend, at least I'd be able to save him from getting bullied)

Jay's presence turns the cafe silent, watching him walk towards his table, Jay freezes upon hearing a certain voice laugh out at him about getting knocked out by the new kid, turning eyes blazing he looks to find Dennis Dean with his two underlings at either side.

"You got KO'd by that pretty boy?, Almost took him for a girl" Dennis smirks staring Jay down

"Heard he took your girl to, tough luck Jay, what can you do when you're always hanging around trolls or is that just to make your average looks shine"

Jay reigning in his anger exhales "well i might have lost to some pretty boy but at least I'm not a fucking Cyclops hiding behind his glasses, Who the fuck wheres shades indoors?"

"Hey bastard do you wanna fucking die?" Dennis growls

Dennis eyes quiver as Jay's fists virtually teleport in front of his face (he's fast)

Jay looks to his chest to see deans palm hovering over it

(he's a grappler, I'll be in trouble if i don't finish this fast)

"What's going on here?" A third voice interjects, Raven turns to see Yanick coming into the cafeteria in a singlet and zipped down overalls with the feet folded to mid-leg range, to his side are his course mates a huge framed baldie to the left a slim big eared guy with a tattoo on his left arm and chest showing through his unzipped overalls, walking to yanicks right,

"It's you two again huh"

Raven watches as Yanick gets within range of his table,

(he saved me yesterday)

Yanick looks to his side as the big-eared guy whispers to him,

"He's the transfer student who fought on his first day huh"

Yanick takes a long look at Raven before turning to see Jimmy who seats anxiously at his side,

(is he bullying him?)

"Hi Yanick" Raven greets with an amicable smile

"What?, do You know me?" Yanick inquires not bothering to hide his distaste for Raven

(He seems hostile, but What did i do?)

Yanick places his hand above Raven's collar-bone pressing into the flesh with two fingers Raven holds his stare while remaining unreactive eventually taking Yanicks hand off his shoulder, Yanick who'd long since stopped being 'a normal human' stared agape before quickly getting on guard

(Shifter!)

Yanicks shock is mirrored by the rest, The man known for his herculean strength and intense grip had seemingly been out-muscled, by a teen with a lean build no less,

"I apologize if I've upset you, i must have taken you for someone else" Raven states still holding yanicks now tensed arm, yanicks big eared companion looks on shocked,

(what is this, Yanick's grip?, With one hand?, I'd heard he was faster than Jay but .... he's definitely one...),

Yanick forces his arm out of Raven's grip.

The gears in 'big ears' brain turn as he thinks up different solutions for the impending disaster,

(Yanick can't afford to lose, if he losses where in trouble, the other four crews are beginning their press into Xander, news gets out that Yanick lost to a transfer and where done, they'll be hear before yesterday, i need to get this hothead out of this),

Yanick winds up to throw a fist but his big-eared companion gets in front,

"Get out of the way Konan"

"No, even if you're going to do this not here"

With Yanick now calm he turns before turning to Raven,

"Let me apologize on his behalf for this"

he states taking a light bow "but we do need to get going now"

Yanick turns toward Jimmy who'd been watching tensely with a frown,

"You need to learn to stay away from bad company kid"

"That's enough Yanick let's get something to eat" he states pushing him in the opposite direction.

Watching from a distance with his head propped up with a palm he observes the unfolding scene, the chatter of the girls around him heightens as Nathan observes the show with intrigue.